Is extreme poverty a thing of the past? What is life like for those living on under a dollar per day? Why are many children in developing countries not learning when in school? Why do many people not invest in preventive health care? These are just a few of the questions that will be addressed in the new online course with J-PAL Directors Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo.

The new course will be hosted by edX—a not-for-profit enterprise founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University that offers online learning to on-campus students and to millions of people around the world. The course will be a combination of video lectures, an online discussion forum, and regular assessments of student understanding of the material.

The course is free of charge and open to anyone with an internet connection.

It will begin on Tuesday, February 12 and run until May 24.

Online learners who demonstrate mastery of subjects through regular online assessments can earn a certificate of completion from MITx.

Visit the course webpage to watch a short video and register for the course.